CINCINNATI —

Ohio has hit the highest number of COVID-19 cases ever reported in a single day with Christmas just days away.

There were 12,864 new cases over a 24-hour period reported Wednesday.

State health officials said there were 492 new hospital admissions for a total of about 4,000 people hospitalized around Ohio. There are 800 people on ventilators.

“We should all be very concerned by the tidal wave of COVID hospitalizations, which again are driven largely by unvaccinated Ohioans,” said director of the Ohio Health Department Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.

The northern part of Ohio has been hit hardest so far.

The state rolled out plans for the Ohio National Guard to be deployed to those areas first, then reassess in the coming days and weeks.

“It’s disappointing. In Cincinnati, we may not be seeing the numbers the north is seeing, we know it’s coming,” said UC Health Dr. Jen Forrester. “Honestly, we’re worried that given the stresses, that we’re not going to be able to provide the care that we want to provide to each and every one of our patients.”

Testing facilities were jammed Wednesday as people tried to make sure their get-togethers can be as safe as possible.

“Now that my boyfriend tested positive, I got to stay home,” said one woman who was in a long line of cars for COVID testing. “Last year, we did a Zoom Christmas and we were like ‘finally this year,’ and then everything changed.”

Health officials said it was too early to tell if the new cases were omicron or delta or both.

Editor’s note: With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is not to alarm you but to equip you with the information you need. We will try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See a list of resources and frequently asked questions here.

CINCINNATI -- UC Health executives will take a pay cut to prevent layoffs or furloughs as the system ramps up its response to COVID-19.

Health system leaders have also been asked to reduce payroll expenses to direct critical funding to medical staff working to combat coronavirus.

“Almost as soon as this public health crisis began, and much like other healthcare systems across the country and locally, we saw our expenses increase dramatically while our revenue streams have dwindled – all while doing the right thing for our communities," said UC Spokeswoman Amanda Nageleisen in a statement Friday.

In line with Gov. Mike DeWine’s order, UC Health has canceled or postponed "non-emergent elective surgeries and clinic visits" to conserve PPE and keep beds open to care for COVID-19 patients. The health system also "re-prioritized" its projects by pausing or eliminating work, and clarified and pivoted to focus on supporting our COVID-19 response.

"These measures were also taken to protect our workforce and other patients by preventing further spread of infection," Nageleisen said. "Our first response to help offset the diminished revenues was to proactively defer major capital expenses and non COVID-19-related projects."

But that response wasn't enough, officials say.

"Like other health care and service industry businesses, our largest expense is our employment costs. We do not want to have layoffs or furloughs. We value every employee and believe that we will need our full workforce especially as we plan for a surge of COVID-19 patients, and certainly after we emerge from our current reality," Nageleisen said.

Because of this, UC is implementing the pay reduction for all directors and above, and asks leaders to reduce their department payroll expenses by a minimum of 20% either by using paid time off (PTO) and/or unpaid leave.

"By taking these actions, we are seeking to preserve the jobs and benefits of our employees who are so important for us, and ensure that they can take care of our patients, community and their families, especially during this unprecedented time," Nageleisen said. "While we don’t want to take these actions, we must take action now to ensure we have the resources needed to care for our friends and neighbors suffering from COVID-19."

CINCINNATI -- Tim turned 37 last month. He has never smoked.

So it came as a shock when he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.

The Tri-State has one of the highest lung cancer rates in the U.S. because it's one of the heaviest smoking areas in the country, according to Dr. John Morris. But people who have never had a cigarette make up a growing percentage of lung cancer diagnoses. 

Between 10 and 15 percent of lung cancer diagnoses are in people who never smoked. Radon gas and pollution are two contributors.

"I think there's a sense that most people with lung cancer are smokers, so they did it to themselves, which is very unfair because we're seeing more and more lung cancer in non-smokers," Morris said.

Morris is the physician Tim chose to guide him through his battle with cancer.

"He offered hope," Tim said. "He offered a chance of treatment at the time that was very new."

It was a combination of an immunotherapy drug and chemotherapy.

"It has made a dramatic difference," Morris said. "He was very symptomatic when I first saw him. He's minimally symptomatic now."

Now Tim is spreading the word about the importance of research and how funding for it can make survivability possible.

The University of Cincinnati is holding a discussion about lung cancer research, screening and treatment from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Courtyard Marriott by Rookwood Commons. For more info, call 513-558-2030.